Tag Archives: czech republic

Lukáš Borl, an anarchist imprisoned in remand since September 2016 was
released on bail today. That means that he will wait for the court
outside of the prison walls. It is the first time since the beginning of
the operation Fenix when no anarchist is in so called Czech republic
held in prison.

In May 2015, the state began Operation Fenix, a campaign of repression against anarchists and liberatory activists. Dozens of people were arrested and interrogated, websites were taken down, computers seized, houses raided.

Now, 18 months later, the Czech state’s campaign of terror has not ended, but neither has the campaign of solidarity and unity of the radical movement in the face of this repression.

Come to Kebele on the 30th of October, after Sunday dnner, and learn about how people have stayed strong and supported each other, and what we can do to support them in our turn. There will be a member of the antirepression group Antifenix speaking, so don’t miss out on this chance to come along and hear about it firsthand!

Statement to my arrest

On Sunday, September 4th, 2016, I was arrested by the police in Most and then taken to the remand prison in Litomerice. Unfortunately it happened what I did not want to, but knew all along that this may occur at any time. Fortunately, I have mentally prepared myself for such situation so it allows me to deal calmly with this kind of unpleasant reality, which I’m and apparently people close to me are exposed to now.

I was captured by those who defend the rule of capital over our lives. Nevertheless, that doesn’t change anything on my will to continue along the path that I have chosen. I will continue to destroy and create. To fight and love. I remain an anarchist with everything that belongs to it. I decided for now to write a few paragraphs about my imprisonment. Surely I will soon express my opinion about other issues that I consider important.

Before the arrest

It’s no secret that at a certain moment I decided to “disappear”, in worry that the police was planning my arrest. I have expressed my reasons in the text “Disappearance of supervision of state power”, which is published various sites of the anarchist movement. The choice I made, allowed me to live hidden and quite happily for months. I freely moved and ate a good food. Whole world became home for me, and I was able to find havens for cultural and social existence in it. Because of emotional and material support I had enough energy to keep fighting for emancipation. I knew about the risks associated with it, but I have never thought about to finish with that and I do not think of it even now. To break free from dictatorship of the state and capitalism is an enough attractive aim, that it is impossible to turn away my attention from it. Even the fact that the power is threatening me with finger, baton or prison… Being an anarchist means to me to understand such threats as an inevitable consequence of my expressed desire for freedom. It is connected with daily rebel life. Fact that I can not avoided, but I can defy it. What I do and I will keep doing.

The circumstances of my arrest

Police arrested me in Most, a small city where I was born and lived for a long time. I have part of my family and many friends there. In Most with some people we run a community center “Ateneo” and organized a long series of events associated with the anarchist movement. In short, in this city I’m quite known person, both to the population and the police and bureaucrats.

For some people it will be a manifestation of “stupidity” that I had decided to come into the city, where in the same time I was the subject of a European arrest warrant. Even if my closest people would think so, I will not blame them. Because they look at the matter from a different position than I do. So I do understand that some people don’t find a comprehension for the thoughts and actions of a person who is in the underground for longer time. The life of person on the run is connected with the separation from the people who he/she loves and whom previously had been in close and frequent contact with. It’s one of the hardest thing, that a person in such a situation has to deal with. Fundraising, food, shelter or providing security in contrast, are relatively easy tasks. There are two ways how to deal with such separation. Either accept it passively, which also means expose yourself to the suffering and unending frustration. Or try to overcome the separation with occasional contacts, which of course greatly increases the risk of getting caught by the police. I “instinctively” chose the second option. I knew what I was risking and what I could lose. But, I also knew, that in isolation I can lose something, what is very important to me – contacts with people I care about and who care about me. That’s why I decided to come to Most, knowing the risks.
Everything could go smoothly and soon I would move to a safer place, it was not a difficult task, and I had carefully prepared for it. But as everyone surely knows, into our lives, sometimes enter unexpected events, which can not be predicted, nor reversed. In such cases does not help the preparation nor the will or abilities. We are dragged by events without being able to prevent them or change them. That’s exactly what happened in my case. As a result, I not only failed to make contact, but also I was arrested. I will not explain now, why and how it happened. Perhaps I will do so later.

Police resolution

Shortly after the arrest, was presented to me a resolution to initiate criminal prosecution. During the whole process, I decided to exercise the right to remain silent. The case is investigated by the police department for Combating Organized Crime (ÚOOZ). They accuse me for the foundation, supporting and promoting a movement aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms. According ÚOOZ I founded a Network of revolutionary cells (SRB), participated in some SRB’s events and I wrote some SRB’s communiqués and published them on the “Asociace Alerta” website. Further they claim that I have committed violation of possession, damaging property of another, 4 times. Twice during an arson attack on a police car. Once during an arson attack on a shop door. And once by spraying on the wall of Prague prison Ruzyne. Finally I am also accused by ÚOOZ for blackmailing the owner of steak restaurant “Řízkárna”.

I carefully studied all accusations to find out on what bases ÚOOZ beliefs that I committed those acts. Honestly, it really calmed me down, because those “proofs” are a mixture of speculation and evaluation of the “trails”, which in fact doesn’t prove my involvement in those acts.

Defence

As is known, I have no sympathies for judicial system. I consider it as part of the repressive instruments of capitalism, of which I am an opponent. Nevertheless, I decided to try to defend myself in court regarding the weak “evidences” that the ÚOOZ presents against me. I realize that this election means fight on the enemy’s territory with limited resources. That’s the reason why I don’t have exaggerated expectations or illusions that the court would be an independent institution that could serve to emancipation struggle.

I will defend myself in court, but I still stand behind that the anarchist struggle must be based primarily on the subversive logic of direct action rather than relying on institutional instruments of the state and indirect (representatives mediated) forms of action. From what I have been saying and doing since years, it’s clear what kind of struggle I prefer. I will keep acting according to that and I want the same from the people who is in solidarity with me.

Still armed and dangerous

During my hiding period, the police and the media denominated me as dangerous and armed. I confirmed it in a text -Lukáš Borl v hledáčku policie. (Lukas Borl in viewfinder of the police.) After the arrest, the police take away from me my defensive pepper spray, knuckleduster, a gas pistol with two magazines and 23 rounds (ed. These weapons are in the Czech Republic legally available without a gun license). Now they keep me in jail. I stand by the fact that I’m still armed and dangerous. Dangerous (to capitalism), because, even behind the bars I refuse to adapt to the conditions of exploitation and encourages the others to rebel against them. I’m still armed because of my willingness to be solidary. Up to this moment they weren’t able to take it away from me and recorded it as a matter of importance for criminal proceedings. Solidarity and rebelliousness are weapons that I still have on me and I’m ready to use it. I have done that already, I do that now and I will keep doing it.

Ground of fighting

As an anarchist, I was always aware of the possibility to be arrest. Every regime after all, suppress its opposition in such a manner. Now I am in pre-trial detention jail, but do not consider it as the end of the anarchist path. Jail is just one of many phases of that revolutionary may (but need not) go through. It’s not the end. Only a change of circumstances and ground where I will now struggle against the perpetrators of oppression. I am pleased that It can keep fighting together with other anarchists. With those, who understand that collective struggle is the only way out of capitalist mud.

Solidarity actions

Anyone who feels the need to support me can choose own way and timing according to own considerations. I will not tell anyone what to do and how. But I explicitly don’t want to see anyone, without my consent, to disclaim direct actions done in my support. If I don’t agree with any action, I will express that by myself, if I consider it important.

An advice for those who doubt about what action would be welcome: get information about my past, to understand what ideological positions I stand for. If this is understandable for you. Then it will make you lose any doubts about what action I would welcome and which not. No time to lose.

No social peace with those who oppress and exploit us. The struggle continues!

Like this:

On Sunday, September 4th, police captured our comrade Lukáš Borl. Lukáš is an anarchist who has lived in underground for about a year, due to previous intense surveillance. On Monday September 5th the court sent him to custody jail. State attorney, Naďa Voláková, commented on the case for the Czech News Agency: “I confirm the capture of a man who is accused of foundation, supporting and promoting a movement aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms, black mail and misdemeanor of criminal damage…”

We do not yet know what exactly Lukáš is accused of. We will continue to provide updates. So far you can support him by sending a letter or by a spontaneous noise demonstration. Lukáš is held in a custody jail in the city of Litoměřice. Here is the address:

Like this:

On August 10th Martin will celebrate his already 2nd Birthday behind the bars. You can greet him by making noise behind the wall, sending a letter or any other way you like. Bellow, there is Martin’s address and bank connection.

In these uneasy times we wish him all the best and sending solidarity greetings.

Yesterday the appeal court hearing took place in the High Court in Prague. Russian, vegan, straight-edge anarchist Igor Ševcov, who was appealing his sentence – a 2 year expulsion from the Czech Republic for video recording someone else graffitiing prison walls during a support demonstration (complicity to criminal damage) – was given a new sentence.

The judgement remained the same – the high court still finds him complicit in criminal damage, but the judge changed the penalty. The new sentence: Igor is banned from attending any sporting or cultural event or any event like a manifestation, demonstration, benefit, mobilisation, protest or any other action within the anarchist movement.

We do not know yet what it means exactly, but it’s likely that Igor will have to visit a probation office any time there is a big action, and he will be surveilled during any other event by under cover state agents and spies. If he violates his sentence he can be put behind bars for up to 3 years.

Although it seems a lot nicer than an expulsion from the country, we find this sentence disgusting and humiliating. It degrades an anarchist, or anyone who is not satisfied with a world based on hierarchy and inequality towards a self-policing individual. The path of a person who understands that every step they take is controlled most likely ends with the four walls of a prison.

The repressive system is evolving and, like any sector of the market, penetrates deeper and deeper into every level of our lives. New measures of control have been introduced in addition to prison. In these new measures, not only does prisoner manage their own detention, but an impression of nicer repression is also given. That’s one of the reasons why neoliberal democracy can work for so long.

When in a dictatorship it is very common to hate the repression and the people see the oppressor as their enemy – in a democracy the repression is painted a colour so that is it unrecognizable, or the majority side with the oppressor and see their oppression as nice and necessary.

We do not know if Igor will follow this sentence, try to oppose it legally or just follow his own agenda and feelings and see what happens in the future. In any case, he has our full support.

If you want to support Igor, rather than congratulating him on his “better” sentence, ask him what kind of support he needs, for he is in a very uncomfortable situation. And mostly, keep changing your environment into a world where repression, exclusion and borders are exchanged for mutual solidarity and freedom.

We have already informed about the fact that Martin, unlike us, has not been aware of the decision of the court. He hasn’t received the official decision to this day (June 9th, now he has gotten it) but has been informed about the court decision by his family and his lawyer who visited him yesterday. The court had decided that Martin is to remain in custody. Therefore today Martin officially begins the hunger strike. Here is Martin’s statement:

START OF HUNGER STRIKE

The hunger strike is my free reaction to the circumstances that concern the approach of the police in the Fénix case.

The situation is unbearable for me due to the slander through which R. Šlachta has demagogically been ling to the Higher court. I consider it unlawful that my family is being monitored, their private lives are being interfered with, their opinion and feelings of the Fénix case are being judged. This indirectly shows that any criticism is an impulse for the monitoring of the dissenting persons and the recording of details of their private lives.

I also consider it unlawful that the privacy of my friends and their families is being violated by the police who call their employers and landlords and try to intimidate them through this tactic.

Furthermore the remand prison Praha – Pankrác is knowingly violating moral and human rights as far as nutrition is concerned, as so far they have provided me with food that is completely non-nutritive, I am not provided with vegan food. I am fully provided with food by people on the outside but is very difficult for my family and friends.

Another thing is that my detention in remand has the form of pressure detention – not just in the form of being denied vegan food but also the constant ‘security’ measures due to which visits from my counsel for defence take place through bars or plexiglass, even when I am looking through file documents. Even though a month before that the review of file documents took place without such measures.

With this protest I want to express my dissatisfaction and show that the police dishonourably goes into extremes and knowingly acts unlawfully. They give false, targeted and untrue information to keep me in custody, on the basis of mere assumptions and fabrications, this is done by police agents and investigators.

I want to emphasize that the hunger strike is not an outcome of the trial. I want to and I will defend myself in the trial and I will participate in it, as I have already stated at the City court in Prague.

I will not end the hunger strike as long as this unbearable state persists and until the immediate remedy in these respects:

Immediate withdrawal of the false record on my sister given by R.
Šlachta.
Immediate suspension of all unlawful and illegal monitoring, bullying and intimidation of my family, my friends and their families.
Immediate improvement of food in the remand prison in Praha – Pankrác.
Repeated and independent review of my release from custody with
acceptance of promises and proposals from my side and the replacement of custody by other measures.